Crap, I completely forgot to go back and try to figure out the cryptogram. Good thing my plot self found it easy to decrypt. >>; Is there an answer out there somewhere?

I haven't gone to Discord... it's open in another tab waiting for me to either close it or pluck up the courage to do something with it. ^^; Is it a chatroom? I'm old school, I haven't been in a live chatroom since Yahoo chat in 1999. XD

Finally got around to editing my other post. <3 It's going awesomely so far! Opening up the newest message now.

Hmm, so the readme one was full of clues too? Interesting. Unfortunately I just don't know what to do with it. :C

Ooh, so they ended up setting up the clinic in Lower Ziara?! How awesome! Improve that QOL. c: That bit reminded me a bit of Killjoys and some other sci-fi shows I've watched. Dystopias can be beautiful but of course they're anything but nice to live in.

Thanks for the trinkets (and of course all your other gorgeous gifts)! c:

Another layer to explore... I'll go take a peek. And probably not say anything. I'm shy?

• read through all the backstory - I loved it! Particularly the binary. xD

OMG it gets better!! I love that Discord was incorporated! :D

Man, I need to change my HA though...

Although Grace initially allowed you entry into the "club", he warned you not to linger around the club as the anagram in Brandon's USB was close to getting solved. Exploring the rest of Lower Ziara until the end of Masquerade, you wait until the event is over before you check in on Club PLURality. The familiarly busted signage now reads "lub PLURality." Close to the establishment's door, you find an unpowered "C" neon sign close to the welcome mat.

The sign on the front door still reads "Sorry, we're CLOSED!" There seem to be more people inside the club itself, judging from the shadows you can see through the touch-screen terminal. Just like last time, it displays what seems to be static. A chat-like panel displays a transcript of conversations audible through the speakers, which play music and loud conversations from inside.

There are buttons shaped like rewind, play, and pause buttons, below the display. Odd, those weren't there before.

Oh geez!!! I couldn't participate in the discord much bc I had a bunch of big assignments, and the day after I finish them all I come to this? What happened to Grace?!?!?!? I'm so worried now!

Thanks so much for the gifts, Anon!!! :D And for taking your time to do this!! hugs!!

Murder on the dance floor?!?

/runs to uni

Crap, I forgot all about DIscord. I feel like I missed something. But now I'm all worried about Grace! He's been through so much crap!

I feel so lost! I received the same first gift as did.

At first I thought it was a completely different plot but now that I'm looking through all these recent posts, some things line up, like mentions of someone named Bella going missing and the avatars used in the plot. I wonder if the gifter/gifters are running different plots simultaneously or if this is all supposed to connect in the end?

Here is a link is the plot that I've been in so far: https://subeta.net/forums.php/read/873073/This-mysterious-figure-walks-up-to-you-nodding-/

If I'm completely wrong, someone let me know lmao

Edit:

Also received a gift just like 's except the messages are a little different.

You wait until Masquerade is over, before you make your way to Club PLURality. The ballroom is only open for a limited time each year, after all, but the clubs are likely to stay open. You prepare clothing that will help you blend in with the inhabitants of Ziara's underbelly, before making your admittedly risky trip out of the "bourgeois quarters".

After asking people who seem not to fit in the usual dress of the "floating city" for directions to Lower Ziara, something apparently only given in hushed tones and guarded whispers, you make your way to what appears to be a run-down garage, with a busted signage reading "lub PLURality." It is dark by the time you reach Lower Ziara, but there is an eerie silence in this part of Atebus, even though it is bathed in neon lights and bright colours. It reminds you of the illumination of casinos, but not quite.

As you walk closer to the door of the establishment, you find an unpowered "C" neon sign close to the welcome mat. You also notice a "Sorry, we're CLOSED!" sign on the front door. However, a touch-screen terminal seems to have been activated on the door. It displays what seems to be a closed-circuit camera feed. Speakers underneath the screen play music and loud conversations from inside.

Buttons shaped like rewind, play, and pause buttons. There is a chat-like panel displaying a transcript of conversations audible through the speakers.

Just then, a man approaches the camera, and begins to speak.

"Oh man, this is making me nervous. Is anyone watching out there? Bella had gone missing after she performed a few surgeries during the last few days of Masquerade. I was giving patient consultations. I should have kept an eye on her." His voice seems to crack, and his eyes are damp.

"I would leave this club, but E isn't here, either. This is bad... this is very bad... I implore you, I beg you, please help me! We closed the club a few days ago to evade the notice of the individual we only know as 'Master'. It seems he is an entity from another world, possibly the one where Bella and I come from. If not, he may have captured one of our kind and controlled it for himself. When I solved the last part of the anagram from an epiphany while a patient consulted me, these disappearances happened. I am desperate..."

The display fades to static, when a scream can be heard from the speakers.

"It is done," bellows a deep, guttural voice. It is only then that you catch sight of a bloodied hydrus necklace.

Not far off from where you found the hydrus necklace, which you decide not to touch, you see a dilapidated copper pipe. There appear to be flecks of a dark, wet substance on it. You similarly opt not to move it. You want to deny that the pipe has some blood on it.

The wind howling harshly against you gives you the realisation that you are all alone on the street. You then hear a distant siren. The sound becomes louder as a police car approaches you. It stops right in front of Club PLURality, where a policewoman alights from the vehicle.

"I'm Tanja Sugarvine from Neutral Force, did you call the emergency helpline?"

continued in my next post

Not far off from where you found the hydrus necklace, which you decide not to touch, you see a dilapidated copper pipe. There appear to be flecks of a dark, wet substance on it. You similarly opt not to move it. You want to deny that the pipe has some blood on it.

The wind howling harshly against you gives you the realisation that you are all alone on the street. You then hear a distant siren. The sound becomes louder as a police car approaches you. It stops right in front of Club PLURality, where a policewoman alights from the vehicle.

"I'm Tanja Sugarvine from Neutral Force, did you call the emergency helpline?"

[spoiler=4]You enter Club PLURality, trailing behind Tanja. She pulls out a pistol from its holster, and points it at the crowd that had congregated at the dance floor.

"All freeze!"

The club's patrons continue to dance, the music blaring from the sound system possibly drowning out Tanja's voice. You see a necklace with an eye pendant on the ground.

continued from my previous post

4

You enter Club PLURality, trailing behind Tanja. She pulls out a pistol from its holster, and points it at the crowd that had congregated at the dance floor.

"All freeze!"

The club's patrons continue to dance, the music blaring from the sound system possibly drowning out Tanja's voice. You see a necklace with an eye pendant on the ground.

You consider alerting Tanja to the presence of the necklace when you see a trail of muddy footprints.

"I said, freeze!"

Tanja still does not get a response from the crowd. She storms off to the DJ booth, taking Vexera's headphones off of him.

"Stop the music, I NEED to ask the club patrons a question."

Shaking with fear, Vexera obliges. The crowd stops dancing, and stares at the DJ booth. Tanja takes the microphone, and begins to speak.

"Lower Ziarans, once again, I need your assistance. I am Tanja Sugarvine of Neutral For--" "Poes of, polisieman!" "Hey, it's someone from Neutral Force. Keep quiet!" "I received a call regarding theft occurring in this club. We also found a bent copper pipe and a hydrus necklace outside, both with blood. Is there anyone here who had witnessed such events?"

After a few moments of silence, a petite figure wearing an oversized pullover raises their hand. She has strawberry blonde hair tied in a bun, and large, sky-blue, circular eyeglasses. She almost trips over a few wires on the ground, when you quickly help her up. She walks closer to Tanja, and whispers something in her ear. Tanja nods, and motions for you to follow both of them to the back of the club.

As you walk away from the crowd, you notice that Tanja and the other girl are following a trail of footprints similar to the one you found next to the necklace. The diminute woman leads you to what appears to be a pantry. No one is inside the room, but a stove has been left turned on. Apart from the footsteps, which lead to another door, nothing else seems to be amiss.

You encourage Tanja to follow the footprints out of the pantry. They truncate close to a vacant parking lot. There are skid marks left by tires on the ground.

"I don't know exactly what happened. I didn't even hear anyone scream, but I noticed the footsteps after a while of dancing. I hope this aids your investigation." The petite woman smiles at both of you. "If you don't mind, I need to go back inside. I'm one of the club owners, and my companions aren't around. I'll be more vigilant."

Tanja thanks the woman, and turns to you.

"If you aren't busy, do you think you can help me investigate this matter? I know it's odd to ask of a visitor to Lower Ziara like you, but we're severely understaffed. Follow me to the car."

You follow Tanja through a path leading back to the front of the club without re-entering it, just to find that the police car is no longer parked in front of the establishment. Tanja pulls on her hair on both sides, visibly agitated.

"My car! What are we going to do now?"

I am, as I write this, watching an episode of The FBI Files in which two inmates did just that. But then again, the deputy transporting them was dumb enough to not handcuff them. So they overpowered him and stole his clothes and his patrol car (including guns). I'm assuming she can call dispatch and tell her fellow officers to be on the lookout for a stolen cruiser, but Tanja, if you find the person who stole your car, make sure you handcuff them. >_>

Ahhhh this is so interesting!

@ Austria I've heard of that happening a few times. It looks like that's what happened here, too.

You tell Tanja to calm down. Panicking will just cloud her judgment (and possibly your own, as well.) She fans herself with both of her hands for a few moments, and blows some air through pursed lips. She then digs for something from her pocket, taking out a phone.

"Hello, Carlos? Someone took my cAR, I WAS JUST INVESTIGATING SOMETHING IN FRONT OF CLUB PLURALITY PLEASE HELP ME I CAN'T BREATHE SEND THE CAR PLEASE WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL OUR SUPERIOR WHAT DO I DO WHAT TO DO WHAT TO DO--"

Tanja rapidly withdraws the phone from her ear. The phone seems to be on loudspeaker, since you can hear someone speak through the line.

"Calm down, woman! You realise we're understaffed and have a lot of emergencies, right? You shouldn't have left the car running--" "HOW AM I GOING TO CALM DOWN I'M DEAD I'M SO DEAD I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS--" "Stop yelling into the phone and take some deep breaths. And please don't tell me someone else can hear you panic--" "JUST COME HERE, QUICKLY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE" "Okay, okay. Club PLURality, right?" "YES. THANK YOU!"

Tanja taps a button on her phone's screen, and screams loudly. She then excuses herself for a few moments to lean against a lamppost and take some deep breaths, just as her colleague suggested. You then hear what seems to be a car approaching your general direction. Tanja walks closer to the middle of the road, and heaves a sigh of relief as a dark red car stops in front of the Club. A man alights from the driver's side of the car.

"Carlos, why aren't you wearing your uniform?" "I was supposed to be off-duty today, but I had no time to change when they told me to report." "That doesn't matter now. Were you headed somewhere?" "Yeah, you're conveniently on the way. I received a distress call from ChouChou, close to the industrial district. Now get in the car."

Tanja enters the door opposite the driver's seat, and you take your seat in the back. Carlos then begins to drive.

"Tanja, forget about the car for now. We'll think of something later." "I'll try. I'm still nervous. But I need to find a different vehicle. There were these muddy footprints in Club PLURality which abruptly ended in a parking lot where I found a few tire marks." "Where are you both headed?" "Can you keep your eye out for any tire skid marks on the road?" "That's awfully vague, Tanja. Besides, the road is somewhat damaged along these parts." "The people inside the club were unhelpful. I don't think anyone noticed one of the patrons possibly get assaulted, because the music was too loud." "And how would you know someone got assaulted? I distinctly remember the call from the club to be about theft."

You observe the buildings and establishments that the car is passing by, through the window. The street you're passing by appears to be part of an eerily quiet commercial district, lined by noodle shops and clothing stores. Dazzling neon signs and bright lighting from the stores illuminate an otherwise dark and worn road. Up ahead, you see skyscrapers and a wide bridge with a steep slope. You hold on tightly to the headrest of Tanja's seat as the car makes its ascent through the bridge.

You fall asleep after a few moments, at a time when it seems as though the car is passing by a flat stretch of road. By the time you awake, you feel Tanja nudging you gently.

"We're here. Welcome to the heart of Lower Ziara."

Carlos opens your door, and escorts you up and out of the car.

continued in next post

Three boxes...

• things just got real again, quick D:
• "What?", 2B, 4. Hahaha, why am I not surprised the car is gone. & what's with the pendant hmmmm
• I really do love that anon makes HAs for the characters :D

I feel like Subeta has come alive through this plot!

(sorry for not being online lately to keep up better :()

, You can put a second post now

continued from previous post

"I hope you don't mind walking, because that's the only way we can get to ChouChou from here." Carlos' words seem to be an overstatement, as you immediately see a neon signage for ChouChou.

You pass by an alleyway, which is blocked by a stray hospital bed. Though it's strange, you don't pay it much attention. A white van is parked in front of ChouChou, and from the driver's side, you spot a few more muddy footprints. A coincidence, perhaps? They truncate just before a muddied doormat. Carlos and Tanja try to head straight into the club, when a bouncer denies them access.

"We're from Neutral Force--" "Get out. You're not welcome here." The bouncer sneers at the three of you, and shoves your two companions away, one hand pushing each person's chest. "We'll escalate if you don't let us in."

The muscular man by the door hastily opens the door. Tanja takes you by the hand and pulls you inside, presumably so that the bouncer can't stop you from entering ChouChou.

A giant mirror ball is suspended over neon lights bent into the shape of curves, vaguely forming fragments of a circular outline. There is a mini-bar at the back of the dance floor. Instead of drinks, the counter has multiple bottles with orange butterflies lined up on it. The barkeep hands each of you a bottle, instructing you to release it as soon as the DJ announces, "unleash your chouchou."

Carlos leans close to the barkeep, asking, "Were you the person who called the emergency helpline earlier?" The barkeep nods wordlessly. "Okay, where did you see the suspicious person go?" The barkeep points to an elevator and instructs all three of you to go to the fourth floor, which he states is surrounded with glass walls. He points at something to the direction of the mirror ball, but due to the amount of glaring lights, you can't quite make it out. Tanja thanks the barkeep, and leads you to the elevator. You press the button, and the elevator doors slide open to reveal a young man.

"The barkeep did a good job, huh? I told him to make the distress call on my behalf." "E, is that you?" Tanja appears to be shocked. "Yeah." The man Tanja just called E looks at you. "You a friend of Grace and Bella?"

There's so much work going into this plot, it's crazy. Just want to say thanks to the author for everything so far.

@ Rogue thanks :) will edit in a minute

...I want to give that boy a hug.

E is definitely becoming one of my favorite characters!! Best line from this package, "dunno where to find them so good luck i guess" hahah

is so lovely! I particularly love the description! :D Anon, you spoil us ❤ Hope you're having a great weekend!

I love this CW, thank you so much anon!

Story awesome as usual